And I Bleed When I Dream
by Lainey
Summary: Alanna posseses special magical powers that she inherited from her dead mother. When she is invited to Hogwarts, will she discover the secrets of her past and her magical heritage? ch 5 up!
1. An Invitation

And I Bleed When I Dream ****

by: Lainey (96819)

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Summary: Before Alanna could talk, her mother died, leaving her on her own to learn about her innate magic. At seventeen, when she is invited to come to Hogwarts to learn about their type of magic and teach about hers, will she discover the secrets to the clouded past about her mother and her magical heritage?

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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other wonderful works of J.K. Rowling. I do own Alanna and anyone else you don't recognize, so please don't use them without asking, if you happen to find them worth using.

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A/N: I promise on my, um, Grandpa's deathbed that I will finish this story, if only this one. I have the whole thing outlined, go me! Hope you all like it. R/R please, but if you don't have anything intelligent to say, please don't say anything at all (that would be aimed at would-be flamers). Constructive criticism welcome.

Prologue: A Letter of Invitation 

Alanna Stalmer, resident of 44 North Helming Street, Grass Valley, California, paced worriedly up and down the hallway of her house, a folded up piece of parchment clutched in her hand. She chewed on her lower lip as she walked, listening for every sound that came her way, her brow furrowed in thought.

The front door opened and her head snapped up. In walked in a middle-aged man, carrying several shopping bags; it was her dad, Russell.

"Argh!" Alanna cried in frustration. "What are you doing here? Where is Troy!" She threw up her hands, and went back to pacing.

Her dad blinked in confusion, the look on his face asking what was going on.

The silver-haired teenager ignored him and kept no pacing, staring at the green carpet. She flicked a strand of hair out of her face, and momentarily the story of her life flashed through her mind.

It had been rumored that Alanna's mother was of magical blood. She left soon after Alanna was born, and never came back. Everyone that talked of her spoke very fondly of Alanna's mother, but there was always an air of mistrust, that maybe she even transferred some of that mysterious power on to her only child.

When Alanna was just learning to walk and talk, somewhere halfway around the world, her mother died. In a blinding flash of white light that came while her father was tucking her in to bed at night, the color of her hair was stolen, and she had been imbued with a strange, perhaps magical talent.

"Is Troy supposed to be here?" Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts and pacing at once. She looked up again.

"Huh? Oh, Troy. Yeah." She returned to her path along the hallway.

The door opened again, and again, Alanna's head snapped up.

"Troy!" she announced, rapidly crossing the room. "Troy, you wouldn't believe, I--" She looked around the room to see her father still standing in the middle with his shopping bags. She grabbed Troy's arm and led him out the still-open door. "Let's talk out here."

Once they were outside, with the door safely shut behind them, and sitting on the lawn, she said, "My lord, what took you so long?"

He glanced down at his watch. "It took me five minutes."

She paused, mouth open. Finally it shut. Then, "That's not the point, look at this!" She thrust the piece of parchment in front of his face.

He unfolded the paper and read aloud:

__

Dear Miss Alanna Stalmer,

On behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I would like to invite you to study with us for the upcoming school year. We would regard this as a mutual learning experience, for you, our students, and the faculty of Hogwarts. It is an opportunity to learn more about different forms of magic than we would normally come into contact with. Your reply by owl is requested within the week.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

"Are you going?" Troy asked once he was finished.

"Are you joking?" Alanna asked almost angrily. "I can't just get up and leave for halfway across the world! What am I supposed to say to everyone, 'Oh, sorry guys, I won't be at school next year, I'm gonna go to a wizard school. Oh hey by the way, I can do magic.'"

"Honestly. Don't be dumb. Tell them your aunt on your mom's side suddenly called up, and wants you to do this foreign exchange student thing over in England where she's from, and you don't wanna pass up this opportunity." He looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

A little hope seeped back into her face. "Do you really think they'd buy that?"

"Sure, why not? Your mom's side is a big mystery to everyone, including you," he said, patting her hand. "Go on, don't pass something like this up."

She smiled brightly. "I knew you'd help. Thanks Troy!" She launched herself toward him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you so much. I'm going to write back tonight."

"Why don't you do it now?"

She tipped her head. "Don't be dumb, Troy, owls aren't out during the day." She stood up and brushed the grass from her. "I'm going to tell Dad. Thanks again." And she ran inside, leaving Troy to sit on the lawn and shake his head.

Finí

Hope ya liked it. Chapter one soon. R/R!


	2. For the Birds

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And I Bleed When I Dream

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own HP, and if anyone has read American Gods by Neil Gaimann, you may recognize a scene from this chapter. I don't own that either. If you haven't read it, I suggest you go do so.

To my reviewers:

Naomi: Do you mean Fleur? Now that you mention it, yeah, I guess so. Thanks for the original thing, I like to pretend I'm original.

Person who didn't leave their name: Thank you for the review, and I plan to.

Rachel: Thanks, I know what you mean, waiting for updates kills, I'll try to update often.

Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed or will review in the future. You guys keep em going!

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Chapter One: For the Birds

Alanna's dad was really supportive, when she went inside to tell him. He was happy for her, but underneath, Alanna could tell he was sad that she'd be leaving, and she was having the same feeling inside her as well.

She was terrified, however, to have to lie to her friends, so she put that off as long as possible. Well, as long as she could stand the idea of knowing she was leaving and not having anyone else know, anyway. She decided to respond to the letter first.

It was late evening already, so she didn't have long to wait until it was dark out. Once there were stars in the sky and crickets chirping annoyingly outside the windows, she walked out into her yard and hooted softly as an owl would. She waited and listened for a reply. 

Once she knew that there was at least one owl in the area, she began to sing, pitching her voice to call of an owl, feeling the magic rise up within her. It was a living pulse that beat inside her, swelling with each passing moment that she held her song, until she felt it would consume her and run her through, but she was not afraid. On the contrary, it was an indescribably feeling, like her soul was being set free and her heart's desire was filled. She was on fire and felt she could have done anything she wanted right then and there.

But that's what the magic did to her. Every time, without fail. It was such a part of her that she couldn't even imagine living without it. She compared it to losing her eyes, or her ears. Not just an absence of the sense, but an absence of a way to perceive it.

When she opened her eyes, (which she hadn't realized she'd closed), and let her song die down, a small, brown, barn owl sat on the lawn in front of her. Alanna smiled and brought her voice and magic back up, but this time in a softer song, telling the owl what exactly she wanted in a personal message, not a free call.

When she was done singing and could feel the magic dying down in her, the owl stuck out its leg and waited while she tied on the letter, like it had done this a thousand times. _Which, _thought Alanna, _it probably has. I bet it knows exactly here Hogwarts is._

The owl took flight off into the night sky, and when she could see it no longer she went back inside. She sat down on the couch and just _felt_ as the magic died down reluctantly, like a child who doesn't want to go in at dusk in the summer. It felt good to use it, but there was always a longing when it stopped, something that seemed like it was missing.

Her thoughts soon turned to her friends and she reached over and picked up the phone. She stared at it for a moment until getting up the nerve to turn it on and punch in the number.

She waited while it rang, and then said, "Hi, is Sarah there?" She took a deep breath. "Oh hi, Sarah, this is Alanna." She proceeded to tell Sarah the story about how she was going to go be a foreign exchange student in England with her aunt. She told her how much she'd miss all her friends, which wasn't a lie, and that she'd write all the time and maybe even call, but she didn't know, because this school she was going to was kind of archaic.

Sarah then talked for awhile about how cool that would be, to live in England for so long, and to go to an old boarding school, and maybe to learn more about her mother's side of the family. She assured Alanna that she would be missed terribly and that se would get letters all the time.

Alanna excused her self after awhile, saying that it was late and that she really had to get some sleep or she would just drop dead of exhaustion, and hung up the phone.

Sitting back against the couch, she let out a breath, and a lot of tension. While Sarah was a good friend, she wasn't exactly the kind of person one told secrets to; she was a bit of a gossip. Alanna smiled. _Which is exactly what I need right now. It will save me from having to talk to everyone._

She yawned loudly, and suddenly realized that she really was tired, so she got up and went to her room. She sat for a bit, looking around at all the things she wouldn't be able to take with her, but soon could hardly keep her eyes open. Crawling under the covers, she reached up and turned off her bedside lamp.

Within two days she received another letter, telling her what to bring and she packed it all right away. That night, she again reached up to her bedside light, only this time to turn the lamp on. She had been awoken by a tapping on her window. As she squinted against the light, she turned around to push aside the curtain and nearly jumped out of her bed with fright at the sight of the man peering in through the glass. She pushed open the window slowly.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you," said the man, taking a step back. He was dressed from head to foot in deep purple robes.

"Oh, you just startled me, that's all," Alanna said. She bit her lip. "Um, I'm sorry, but, do I know you?"

The man looked surprised. "Oh! What was I thinking. Forgot myself entirely." He stuck out his hand through the open window. "Tristan Salmandi. Professor Dumbledore sent me to bring you back to Hogwarts."

"Hello. I'm sure you already know, but I'm Alanna Stalmer. It's nice to meet you." She shook his hand, which he then drew back through to his side of the glass.

"Good. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, we can get underway. Do you think you can be ready in half an hour?"

A surprised expression crossed her face. "We're not even going to wait until morning?" she asked.

"Horus travels better just before dawn. I would hate to have to wait until tomorrow morning," Tristan replied, stroking his goatee.

Alanna nodded. "Okay. Well I have to get dressed and say goodbye to my father."

"Okay," Tristan said. "I'll just stay out here with Horus."

Though it had crossed her mind to ask who Horus was, in the interest of time, she decided to put off her questions. She got out of bed, reclosed the curtains, and got dressed. The bag of her things was lying by the wall, and she picked it up, stuffing a few extra things inside, and left the room. Down the hall she slowly pushed open her father's door, and walked inside.

It was dark in the room, but from the sliver of light let in by the door, she could make out his bed and his sleeping form in it.

"Dad," she whispered, touching his shoulder gently. "Wake up."

He rolled over towards her and opened his eyes. "Alanna?"

She nodded and smiled sadly. "I have to leave now, Dad."

He sat up. "Now?"

She nodded again, and then leaned down to wrap her arms around him. "Yeah, now. I'll miss you. I'll write you all the time."

"I'll miss you too honey," he said. "I hope you have fun. I'll write you too, if you send me one of those owls."

She stood up and blew him a kiss. "Bye." She turned and sniffed, trying not to cry as she walked from his room. She picked up her bag, which she had left in the hallway, and went out the front door. She stopped short on the porch.

There, standing on her lawn was the most enormous bird she'd ever seen. It reminded her maybe of a condor, in it's huge wingspan, but it's feathers were a dark purple in color, and it's intelligent eyes seemed to crackle with lightning as they looked at her. It shifted impatiently on the lawn, as if eager to get back into the air where it belonged.

Tristan stood next to the big bird like it was his pride and joy.

"Horus," Alanna managed to say.

Tristan beamed. "Horus. And Horus here is our ride back. Let's get you up, and you can ask your questions later, since I'm sure you'll have plenty." He beckoned her over and helped her up onto the back of the bird.

"What is he?" she asked as Tristan worked on securing her to a leather harness that was strapped to Horus' back.

"Oh, he's a thunderbird. American birds they are, like yourself. But no one stays in one country their whole life if they can help it. Horus found me once during a storm and rescued me. We've been pals ever since. We go everywhere together." Tristan finished strapping in her and her bag, and settled down into the harness in front of her. He tightened his own straps and called back, "Ready?"

"Wait. What's it like?" she asked, eyeing the ground and then the sky nervously.

He grinned over his shoulder at her. "It's like riding lightning." He whistled sharply and Horus took off into the air. Alanna gripped the straps tightly: it was exactly like riding lightning.

Finí

Hope you liked it, please R/R. If there's anything specific someone would like to see, I'm open to suggestions, and as always, constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated.


	3. In

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And I Bleed When I Dream

Disclaimer: I still don't own the wonderful world of Harry Potter, or anything else you may find in the is story, minus Alanna.

Kinki: Thank you, dear, for believeing in me. I didn't know you read my stuff.

Naomi: Thanks again. I agree. It's kind of hard to imagine riding lightning, but I heard it somewhere and though it was a cool idea.

chibi-chan: I haven't stopped updating, it's just been a busy time. See? Look, another chapter.

Katie West: Thanks for letting me know you're there.

Kimeko: Here you go.

Chapter Two: In 

The ride was a little long, but exhilarating, every second of the way. It really was like riding lightning, snaking a rapid, erratic pattern across the clouds. As far as travel goes, however, it was a tremendously quick ride. They arrived in London only a few hours after they'd left, but the sun was high up in the sky, the time being different so far away.

They landed in an enclosed courtyard with one walkway leading out in the corner of two buildings. The four buildings surrounding the courtyard were all run-down and looked to no longer be in use.

"Well," Tristan said, unstrapping himself from his harness, "this is as far as we can take you."

Alanna unstrapped herself and her bag and climbed shakily to the ground. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said to both of them.

"It was our pleasure," Tristan replied. "Now, you'll want to go out that walkway and turn left on the sidewalk. The Leaky Cauldron shouldn't be too far down the way. The barkeep is looking for you."

"Thank you again," she said. "Goodbye."

"Take care." He strapped himself back in and took off.

She turned and walked out of the courtyard to a busy street beyond. She noted with amusement that all the cars were driving on the wrong side of the street. The sidewalks were full of people walking to and fro, and she stepped out into their stream and was borne on to the left. Each shopfront she inspected closely, and even so, almost missed her destination when it came.

A small wooden sign hanging from the overhang pronounced that the tiny-fronted shop was really The Leaky Cauldron pub. She pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly-lit interior.

All the people inside turned to look at her, as people do when one walks into a room, but they kept staring. The barkeeper walked over, wiping his hands on a towel at his waist.

"Excuse me miss, can I help you?" he asked.

"I think so," she said. "I was told to come to The Leaky Cauldron by a man that Professor Dumbledore of Hogwarts sent to me." She paused and looked around at all the people. "This _is_ The Leaky Cauldron, right?"

The barkeeper smiled. "Yes it is. You're Alanna?"

She nodded.

"Good. We've been waiting for you. At first I thought yeh were a muggle, from your look of confusion and all." The patrons of the bar, some of which she now realized were wearing brightly colored robes, went back to their business.

"People come in here by accident?" she asked. "I hardly saw it, and I was looking for it. I don't think most of the people out there even notice it."

The barkeeper shrugged. "Well, they come in every now and then. Most of them can't see it though, or they choose not to. You've got to have just a little bit o' magic to see it at all, but most of them are so absorbed into their lives yeh can't blame 'em for not wanting things to be out of the ordinary."

"Got it."

"Well now, where're my manners? My name's Andelore Cornes. I tend bar here. Until the train for the school goes out, you'll be staying in one of the rooms upstairs, and you can go shop in Diagon Alley for your school things."

"Okay." She nodded. "How do I get to Diagon Alley?"

"Lousie'll show yeh the way."

A kind looking witch in muggle clothing came over and Andelore Cornes went back to the bar.

"Hullo dear. I'm Louise and I'll be glad to show you around the place." She held out her hand and Alanna shook it.

"Alanna Stalmer," she replied.

The witch smiled. "Good. Now follow me. You can leave your bag at the foot of the stairs there and someone'll move it up to your room while we're gone."

Louise led her through a door at the back of the pub into a little alley. "Now count the bricks like this," she said, pointing at them with her wand, "and tap here."

At the tapping of her wand, an archway morphed open to reveal a bustling cobblestone lane packed tightly with shops on either side. Witched and wizards in both robes and ordinary clothing hurried from shop to shop, strolled down the street, and talked with one another.

"It's beautiful," Alanna said in wonderment.

Louise smiled. "Of course it is dear. Now would you like me to show you around or do you just want to explore on your own? You can hardly get lost, and if you do, just ask directions back to The Leaky Cauldron. Most folk around here are kind enough."

"I guess I'll explore on my own if you don't mind. I've got my list and—oh dear, I haven't got any wizard money."

"Oh that's not a problem," the woman said. "Your first stop will have to be Gringott's, the wizarding bank. It's the huge marble building on the left up that way. You can't miss it."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, dear. Now have fun and don't spend all your money. Bye now."

"Goodbye," she said, but the arch had already turned back into a brick wall, and Alanna was on her own.

She looked up and down and all around, and finally began walking down towards the bank. It didn't take long to get there, and she certainly didn't miss it. It was made of shining, white marble, and was easily the biggest building around. She climbed the steps and went through the double set of doors.

Inside was a large room, one wall lined with a counter, and the goblin-esque creatures sitting behind it; the other was lined with imposing metal doors. She glanced back at the counter and realized with a start that the creatures probably were goblins.

There was no line, but a place was marked off for one, so she stood there and waited for one of the tellers to call her over. They all looked immensely busy, so she feared of interrupting them if she walked over to the counter.

After several very long, silent moments, one of the goblins looked up from his work. "Well, do you want something, or are you just going to stand there all day?" he asked impatiently.

She walked over and set a bag on the counter containing her entire bank account which she had closed out prior to leaving. "I've never done this before," she said, "so I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're an American," the goblin said, slightly surprised. "I suppose you'll be wanting to switch over American money then."

"Yes, that's right. Can you do that?"

He scoffed. "Of course. Gringott's handles the wizard banking all over the world. Don't you think American wizards need money, too?"

"O-of course," she stammered.

"Well, let's have it then."

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"Your money..?" he said.

"Oh, right. Sorry." She opened the money bag and laid out her bills.

"Wizard money is handled all in coins. This translates into quite a few coins. Are you sure you want to take it all with you? Or would you like to open an account?"

"Will I be able to access my account from Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Hogwarts! Full of surprises, aren't you. As to your question, yes and no. You can access your account from the Gringott's in Hogsmeade, but not actually at the school. I suggest you take about half of this with you. That will be plenty to get your school supplies with and some extra if you should need it at school and can't get to town."

"That'll be great," she said.

"Full name?"

"Alanna Stalmer."

"Here you go," he said, handing her a key. "Vault 6341 for Miss Alanna Stalmer."

"Thank you."

He then counted her American money and began making little stacks of gold, silver and brass coins. He divided the money about in half, and put one half in a bag. "Six three four one!" he called loudly. Another goblin came over, took the bag and disappeared behind one of the doors on the far side of the room.

"Your money's safe now, safer than it could be anywhere else. Here's for you." He pushed the rest of the money in her direction and she put it in her bag.

It was a very heavy bag when she walked out. The goblin had been right, there were a lot of coins. And she didn't even have all of them.

She walked down the stairs and paused at the bottom to pull out her list of things to buy. The first thing that caught her eye was, "_Each student is permitted to bring one animal, either cat, rat, owl or toad."_

"I'd love a cat," she said quietly to herself. She made off down the street until she got to Eyelops Owelry, which also carried, according to a sign: 

__

Cats!

Rats!

Newts!

Toads!

Wizardly animals found

here!

Alanna smiled and entered the store. It was crowded with cages and perches of all sort, not to mention the animals occupying them. There was everything the sign claimed and much more. Several varieties of owls dosed on perches or in cages, cats meowed and lounged, and a pond full of toads croaked loudly.

She walked up and down the aisles, peering into cages and petting the cats. A small, grey ball of fluff mewed curiously up at her. "Hi there, love," she said to the kitten as she pet it. She turned to move on but the kitten mewed at her.

"Hey, kitty. What's wrong? Want a home that bad?"

The cat stretched and meowed again, walking right up to the edge of the shelf it had been sitting on.

"Come here, love." She picked up the cat and it immediately started purring.

"I can see I'll never leave here alive with out you in my arms. Come along." She walked over to the counter, and set the kitten down. "I'd like to buy this kitten, please." She reached into her bag for her money bag.

"A Russian Blue, she is," said the witch behind the counter. "Beautiful cat. She'll cost you sixteen sickles, please."

"Um, those are the silver ones, right?" She raised an eyebrow.

"New to the wizarding world, eh? Yeah, the sickles are the silver ones."

Alanna counted out sixteen silver coins, and left a minute later with a purring grey cat in her arms. She sang to her as they walked down the street outside, telling her all about herself and what their life was going to be like.

"I really ought to name you," she said out loud, scratching the cat under the chin. She thought a moment and then said, "Mo Ghra. I'll name you Mo Ghra. It's Irish for 'beloved.'"

A while later, she looked down at her list, and saw that she had only one thing left to get. She'd gotten her books, her cauldron, her robes. All she needed was a wand. But then, she didn't need a wand, did she? As she looked down at the only item not crossed off, spidery handwriting began to appear next to it.

"_Please be sure to purchase a wand, regardless of your ideas on the subject of needing one_," the writing said. It was signed, "_M.M.G._"

"Well I'll be sure to purchase a wand then," she said to Mo Ghra, who was walking along beside her on the ground.

"Mew."

They happened to be conversing right outside the door of Ollivander's Wands. The two turned and went inside, Alanna holding the door open for her kitten. The moment they entered the store, they stopped in their tracks.

This was, quite reasonably, because a stern voice commanded, "Stop!"

No one was in sight. There were shelves packed full of what must have been wand boxes, a small stepping stool, and plenty of dust to go around, but no people.

"Hello?" Alanna ventured.

An old man entered the room through a back door that she had not previously seen. He was dressed in black robes and had a stern look about him. He had to be the person who had spoken.

"I am Mr Ollivander," he said, walking over to her, "but you are not here to buy a wand."

She was slightly taken aback. "But I am," she replied, noting that Mo Ghra was hiding behind her ankles.

"I have spent my entire career identifying people's magical abilities so that I might pair them up with a wand to channel said magic, and I can assure you that you are in no need of a wand to channel yours."

"I'm going to Hogwarts," she said, "and Professor McGonagall requested in no uncertain terms that I bring along a wand. I trust you can help me?"

Ollivander made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. "Yes, well, let's see what we can do about that." He led her over to the small stepping stool and set a measuring tape to taking her measurements. She tried to ignore the fact that it was doing so without any help from the wizard, who had turned to a wall and was examining the wand boxes.

"No, no, none of these will do," he muttered to himself. He frowned at the wall.

"Is there a problem?" Alanna asked.

"Well, perhaps. The way a wand works is this. It has a magical core to channel the magic already in a person. This magical core must match up to the magic in the witch or wizard in order for it to work. Of course, you _can_ use another person's wand, but it won't work as well as your own. You personally, don't need anything extra to channel your magic. You use your voice. And yet, we have to find you a wand. So my problem is this: what will be the core of your wand? A wand with a magical core might not be able to form to you. A wand with no core might not work at all."

"I see," said Alanna. "Do you have any ideas?"

He shook his head, not to say no, but as a gesture. "I don't know. I suppose we'll have to try a few different things. Let's try some normal wands first. The might work." Though the way he said it left little room for the hope that it would.

He pulled down several different types of wand from the shelves and set them on another foot stool by Alanna. He handed her one.

"Give it a wave, and don't think about using your magic," he instructed.

She took the wand and waved it through the air. Nothing happened.

She tried a few more normal wands, but none did so much as spark for her.

"I guess it won't be a traditional wand then," he said, shaking his head.

They stood for a moment. "Well?" she said. "Let's try something."

Mo Ghra mewed.

Ollivander smiled. "Yes, let's."

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Finí

A/N: If you'd like to be notified by e-mail when I update, either leave your e-mail address in your review, or e-mail me at lainey_marie_03@hotmail.com. My name will show up as Lainey Marie on your e-mail and the subject will be something like "AIBWID chapter (whatever) up." Inside will be a direct link, and any news or whatever that I should feel particularly important. --Lainey


	4. Enchantment

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And I Bleed When I Dream

Disclaimer: Don't own HP, own only Alanna. I'm not making any money and no infringement was intended. Please don't sue.

kinki: will do.

kimeko: I don't remember if it's invisible so much as people just don't see it. I don't remember though exactly.

katie west: I know the feeling. I'd like to shop in Diagon Alley too.

tsuki-chan: Thanks for the review.

chibi-chan: I'll try to update sooner. I know I don't do it very often. Sorry. '^_^

naomi: Your questions won't be answered right away but don't worry, they'll get there eventually. And thanks for asking, I do need to be reminded which parts stiff need clarifying.

As always, thanks, and enjoy! Reviews, questions, and constructive criticism welcome. And don't forget if you want to be notified by e-mail when I update, include your address in your review.

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Chapter Three: Enchantment

Alanna spent the remaining week and a half hanging around with Mo Ghra. The two made friends with common patrons of the pub, as well as extensively exploring Diagon Alley. Alanna occupied herself a lot of the time in reading books which she purchased from Flourish and Blotts in her room upstairs.

The last day before the Hogwarts Express left, Alanna was sitting at a table in the Leaky Cauldron with 100 Magical Muggles, a book about famous muggles who had secretly been wizards as well. Mo Ghra was asleep in the room upstairs.

The front door opened and someone (or several someones, she couldn't tell and wasn't really paying attention) walked in, but she ignored them, as it was a fairly common happening at a pub. She turned the page and took another swallow of her butterbeer.

It was only when the someone walked over to her table that she took notice. She closed her book on her bookmark, and turned to see who it was.

It turned out to be a teenage boy, maybe a year or two younger than she, with unruly black hair and glasses. His piercing green eyes darted back and forth as if not entirely sure of himself, but he cleared his throat and spoke anyway, stopping a few feet from the table.

"Alanna Stalmer?" he asked, one eyebrow lifting in question.

She nodded. "And you are?"

"Harry Potter." He stuck out his hand almost as an afterthought.

Alanna shook it. "Would you like to sit down?" There was an empty chair across from her—though she hadn't planned on anyone using it at all—and she gestured to it.

He seemed to consider it but then said, "Er, no. It's just…Professor Dumbledore sent me and owl, well, he sent Mr Weasley an owl and…" He paused, obviously struggling with what he had to say. "Didn't you get one?"

She thought for a moment, but the only owl she'd gotten while here at the Leaky Cauldron was a brief letter from Dumbledore telling her that he would be sending someone to take her to the Hogwarts Express.

"Oh." She blushed, realizing how obviously it must have hit her.

Harry looked at her expectantly.

"Dumbledore sent you? But you're early." She frowned.

A look of relief washed over Harry's features. "For a moment there I thought no one had told you. Are you ready then?"

"Um, no?" she said uncertainly. This ignoring of her second statement bothered her. "The train leaves tomorrow. I assumed you would be here tomorrow. I was planning on packing tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Well, Mr Weasley got an owl from Dumbledore asking if he'd pick you up, but he couldn't do it. Last minute Ministry business and all, you understand."

She didn't, but she didn't see the point in interrupting. She nodded for him to continue.

"So since Mr Weasley himself couldn't come he sent me and Ron to bring you back to the Burrow," he explained, confusing her just a little more.

"The Burrow?" she asked shaking her head.

"The Weasleys' house. From there Mrs Weasley is going to take us all to Kings Cross tomorrow morning."

"Well then I'd better go pack," she said, happy to have the plan laid out, though how they were supposed to get from place to place was anyone's guess. "Would you like to come up with me?"

"Er, no. I've got to wait here for Ron. He went to get a book he forgot at Flourish and Blotts." He sat down on the other side of the table as she stood.

"Okay, well, I shouldn't be long." She went up to her room and walked inside to find Mo Ghra asleep on the bed. However, her entry disturbed the kitten, who stood, stretched, yawned, and then jumped down to greet her mistress.

"Hi love," Alanna said, reaching down to briefly pet the cat on the head. "We're leaving, so you'd better help me pack up." The kitten mewed.

Alanna laughed. "You lazy bum."

She began to put her things in her trunk; clothes, books, and various magical items she'd picked up in the last couple days. The last thing she picked up in the room was her wand. Unlike the witches and wizards whose world she was now in, she did not carry her wand with her every waking moment. She simply didn't need it, and if she had, she wouldn't know how to use it anyway. As she picked it up, she frowned slightly.

Well, for what it's worth, at least I know it worked in the shop. 

She tucked it into her sleeve and went back downstairs pulling her trunk along. Mo Ghra rode on her shoulder. Down in the pub, Harry was still sitting at the table, but a redheaded boy with lots of freckles had moved into her old seat. Two butterbeers sat on the tabletop, mostly gone.

Alanna walked up to the table cautiously, making sure she wasn't interrupting anything important.

It couldn't have been too terribly important, because Harry did the interrupting for her. "Oh, Alanna. Alanna, this is Ron."

The two shook hands and exchanged greetings.

"Shall we get going?" Harry asked, standing.

"Sure," Ron agreed, standing as well. He looked at Alanna and paused. "Er, could I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," she said shrugging.

"Did you do that to your hair yourself or is it natural?" he asked, blushing at asking such a question when he'd grown up in the wizarding world.

It was actually the first comment she'd received about it since leaving her home. In the wizarding world it was more than common, it was the norm, for people to look out of the ordinary.

Then again, sometimes curiosity wins out over normality.

Alanna blushed too. "My hair turned white when I got my powers from my mom, when she…after she…when she died." As the last words came from her mouth all three gazes fell to the floor.

"Sorry about your mum," Harry said sympathetically. "My mum died when I was little, before I knew her."

"I'm sorry," Ron said to Alanna. "I didn't mean to…" He trailed off, biting his lip.

"No, it's okay," she said shaking her head. "I didn't know her. My dad said her hair looked like mine."

There was an uncomfortable silence which none of them felt much like breaking. They stood for a moment without talking or meeting anyone else's eyes. Finally Harry braved the quiet.

"We really ought to get going now," Harry said, a bit hesitantly. "Mrs Weasley is probably wondering where we are by now."

The silence broken, Ron and Alanna followed Harry's lead to the fireplace set in the opposite wall. The flames were burning healthily and Alanna eyes them suspiciously. She grasped at reasons not to find out their plans for her.

"Wait, shouldn't I tell Andelore that I'm leaving now?" She stopped walking, eyes darting between the boys and the fire.

Harry shook his head. "We took care of that. I told him while you were packing your things."

"Oh. All right."

"Have you got the floo powder, Harry?" Ron asked, stepping a bit closer to the grate. Alanna watched, alarmed, thinking he was going to catch his robes on fire any minute now.

Harry produced a small, gray pouch from somewhere in his robes.

Ron turned back to face Alanna. "This is floo powder. You throw a pinch into the fire, step in, and state clearly where you want to go. Make sure you hold your elbows in so you don't hit them on the bricks." He eyed Mo Ghra. "Hold her close too."

"We'll send the luggage first," Harry said, motioning for her to shove her trunk up close. She did, still not entirely sure this was safe.

Harry threw a pinch of powder into the fire which instantly roared green. He pushed in the trunk and set Ron's book on top. Amazingly enough to Alanna, nothing caught fire.

Ron looked at the fireplace and said loudly and clearly, "The Burrow."

The flames roared louder and higher and when they subsided, the trunk-book combo was gone.

"A-are you sure this is safe?" she stammered.

"Perfectly," Ron replied. "Just make sure you enunciate." He stepped up and threw in his powder. He stepped into the flames, said, "The Burrow," and disappeared.

"You next," Harry said.

"Hold on, I've got to tell Mo Ghra what's happening. Like me, she doesn't take well to walking into fire."

"Make it quick," he replied, looking at her askew. "Ron'll get worried." He glanced worriedly at the fireplace.

But he only glanced once.

Alanna began to sing, calling up the magic within her where it slept. She wove into the sound the roar of flames and the feeling of benevolence. She also included 'trust me' and 'it will all be okay.' She stroked Mo Ghra softly as she sang, making sure the kitten knew that she really did know what she was talking—or singing, as the case may be—about.

Harry was mesmerized. He stood almost slack-jawed, staring at the white-haired girl. It was not a song directed at him, and had over him no hold, he simply could not tear his ears off her. It was the most beautiful form of magic he'd ever encountered before, and, he suspected, the most beautiful form he ever would encounter.

Indeed it was no spell for as the song ended and Harry's senses came back to his, he realized that the other patrons of the pub were taking hardly any notice of a girl singing to her cat. He quickly regained his composure, before she could turn around and see the look on his face.

When she did turn around, she smiled happily and said, "We're ready."

Harry could only nod and offer her the pouch.

* * *

They both made it through to the Burrow without incident, though Alanna catalogued it in her mind as one of the weirdest things he'd ever experienced, next to riding a thunderbird. As Ron's mother showed Alanna around her home, Harry pulled Ron aside to tell him of her magic.

"I tell you," Harry whispered urgently, taking his freckled friend by the arm. "It was amazing. It was like nothing I've ever heard before. It was beautiful."

Ron took this quite seriously, as his friend Harry Potter wasn't normally the type to describe things as 'beautiful.' "She's a veela," Ron said matter-of-factly, nodding, as he himself had had dealings in that area. "Definitely a veela."

Harry just stared at him for a moment and blinked. After a few moments of this he managed a skeptical, "A veela?"

Ron seemed taken aback that his suggestion was not immediately accepted as fact. "Of course. You saw her hair and from what you just told me of her singing, that's exactly what it sounds like to me."

Harry snorted. "Don't be absurd. I mean, she's pretty enough—" he glanced in her direction, "—but not exactly veela material. And plus, it's different. I've seen veela before. It wasn't the same."

Ron shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"Okay then."

* * *

Incongruously, every single member of the household was out on errands or some personal business, minus Mrs Weasley, Ron and Harry. This included Hermione, who was to travel to King's Cross with the Weasleys, Bill and Charlie, who were home from Egypt and Romania, respectively, and the twins who were usually to be found around the house laying traps for family members and concocting new practical jokes.

Mrs Weasley apologized, but she really had to get back to her cooking and Alanna's tour would have to wait until someone else could conduct it. While Harry and Ron went outside to do something called Quidditch—Alanna assured them she was fine on her own—Alanna herself took Mo Ghra outside to get some exercise.

She was sitting on the grass under a large, lonely maple tree, watching the kitten chase its own tail out in the sunshine. She gasped as something made a popping noise next to her, and a person appeared. The person, a girl who appeared around Harry and Ron's age, or so it seemed judging from her back, was facing the other way and as such didn't see Alanna. She hung what looked like a clothes hanger on a low branch and smoothed out her shirt.

Alanna didn't want to startle the girl, so she decided to wait until she'd moved away a bit before she said anything. This, however, was spoiled when the girl took a small step back., a step that landed directly on Alanna's hand.

They both jumped back from the other, in the other girl's case, also turning around to see who she'd just planted her foot on. Alanna was shaking her hand, and other girl had her mouth covered in surprise and embarrassment. Both began talking at once.

"I'm so terribly sorry. I didn't see you there at all—"

"I would have said something but I didn't—" 

"or I certainly wouldn't have stepped on you. Are you—" 

"want to scare you and I was shocked to see you—"

"okay?"

"appear."

They both stopped talking and looked at each other.

"You go first," Alanna said at last.

"Oh, no, you," the other girl insisted.

"All right. I was really surprised when you just popped up out of nowhere. I didn't want to startle you, but then you stepped back and I couldn't help screaming a little."

"I really am sorry about your hand," she said. As if triggered by the word 'hand,' she stuck out her own. "Hermione Granger, by the way."

"Alanna Stalmer," she said, shaking with her uninjured right hand.

"Oh, Alanna, yes. Nice to meet you. I guess no one told you. Though it makes a wonderful shade tree we don't usually use this maple as it's where this portkey is connected to."

At Alanna's questioning look she motioned towards the hanger. "Portkey."

"Let me guess," Alanna said. "Transportation."

Hermione nodded. "Right. Is anyone around? It seems so quiet for the Burrow."

"Harry and Ron are playing, um…_quidditch…?_" She said the word carefully, but when she was not corrected, moved on. "Mrs Weasley is cooking dinner. Mo Ghra, my kitten, and I are out here, and I was told everyone else was out on business.

She nodded again. "Yes, well, I suppose they are. Last day of freedom and all, at least for half of us."

__

Half? Alanna thought, for she hadn't been informed exactly how many people were staying at the precariously balanced building.

"Have you had a tour?" Hermione asked.

"No. Mrs Weasley tried, but had to go back to cooking."

"Well then I'd be happy to show you around."

"Great."

Alanna called Mo Ghra, and they went back inside the mismatched house, following Hermione.

She showed her quickly around the first floor, as Mrs Weasley had already shown her most of it. When they went upstairs, the first place they went was to the room of someone named Ginny.

"This is Ginny's room," Hermione said, pushing open the door. "There will be three of us in here, you, Ginny and me, but with twelve people in the house it's not that bad."

It was the first Alanna had heard the number. "There's twelve people here?" she couldn't help saying.

"Of course. Well, I'm fairly certain." She frowned and stuck out her hands, counting on her fingers. "Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Percy, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, you, me. Twelve."

"Wow."

"Definitely. Shall we continue?"

They toured the rest of the house and when they came back downstairs, a red-haired befreckled girl was sitting in the living room. She looked up as they entered the room."

"Hullo. I'm Ginny, the youngest of the Weasleys and the only girl." She thought about that. "Well, except my mum of course," she amended.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Alanna, but you probably already know that."

She nodded. "Yup. Father's terribly excited to hear about your American muggles. He has this hobby. He really likes muggles and their stuff."

Alanna nodded.

Within the hour, the rest of the family arrived and were introduced to Alanna, thought Fred and George never did decide which of them they wanted to be. Once everyone was there, they had a big, family dinner at a long table outside.

It was later that evening when everyone was inside doing something in the living room or their own room, before Harry got a chance to talk to Hermione privately about Alanna's magic.

Hermione wasn't entirely sure what to think when Harry told her about the afternoon. Naturally she'd formed some guesses of her own, and naturally she kept them to herself. She had to look into them before she went around throwing out accusations and wild hypotheses.

As for Ron's idea about her being a veela, "A veela, honestly." She laughed. "Don't you think Dumbledore would've told us? And anyway, you said she didn't have the same effect on everyone there."

Harry nodded. "Good. I agree. But it still is strange."

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation."

"Perfectly good explanation," Harry echoed, but there was a trace of doubt in his green eyes.

The End


	5. Arrival

****

And I Bleed When I Dream

Disclaimer: Don't own HP, own only Alanna. I'm not making any money and no infringement was intended. Please don't sue.

I know it's been days since I've updated this story, but I swore on my Grandpa's grave. If anyone is still interested, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

As always, thanks, and enjoy! Reviews, questions, and constructive criticism welcome. And don't forget if you want to be notified by e-mail when I update, include your address in your review.

****

Chapter Four: Arrival

The next morning, the departing members of the group, Mrs Weasley, the twins, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Alanna got up early and traveled by floo powder to a wizarding shop near King's Cross. It was hidden in much that same way as The Leaky Cauldron.

The eight of them went into the station and went to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

"Okay, here's how you do it," Fred—or maybe it was George—said. "Push your trunk in front of you—"

"—and just walk into, well, through the barrier," the other finished.

"Really," she replied flatly.

"Like this," Ron said. He pushed his trunk in front of him and disappeared into the brick.

"If you're nervous you'd better run," Ginny advised.

"Go ahead," Mrs Weasley said.

Alanna raised an eyebrow but pushed her trunk in front of her with one hand, holding tightly to Mo Ghra with the other arm, while muttering something about just another crazy form or wizardly transportation. She faced the wall and began to run. Just as she was about to hit she closed her eyes. When she didn't slam into anything, she opened them She was facing a red and gold sign that read, "Platform 9 ¾."

She looked around. Spread out around the platform were several hundred students, their trunks and their families. A scarlet train sat on the tracks, small puffs of steam coming from the stack.

Mo Ghra mewed in her arms.

Hermione, Harry and the rest of the Weasleys soon followed through the barrier.

Mrs Weasley began to hug the children and say goodbye, putting in a few comments as to how they ought to behave themselves while at school. The trunks were left in an area to be loaded in the luggage compartment, and Alanna was forced to give up Mo Ghra to ride with the other pets.

They boarded the train, and Hermione led Harry, Ron and Alanna to an empty compartment.

"Is it a long ride?" Alanna asked, having never actually ridden a train before.

"A few hours," Hermione answered.

"Oh."

"Don't worry, it's not that bad," Harry told her.

"Especially when the candy comes around," Ron offered.

"You and your candy, Ron, I swear." Hermione shook her head.

* * *

Hermione and Ron both turned out to be right: the ride didn't seem that long, and the chocolate frogs made it shorter.

The train pulled into the station just after dark.

"Here we are!" Ron announced.

The four got up, holding their newly-donned robes away from their ankles, and got off the train.

The platform was crowded with black-robed bodies, swarming mostly in the same direction. Off to the right, a huge man with unruly hair and a bushy beard called for the first year students.

"I'm supposed to go with the First Years!" Alanna yelled over the noise of all the people.

"Okay, we'll see you at the feast!" Hermione yelled back.

"Maybe you'll get Gryffindor!" Ron yelled.

Alanna made her way over to the big man who was ushering students into boats on the edge of a large lake.

"Four to a boat!" he yelled, though Alanna suspected his normal speaking voice would have sufficed.

Soon most of the First Years were loaded and waiting in the boats. The older students had been taken away in carriages, and Alanna was still waiting on shore. He big man noticed.

"Hello," he said, somewhat quieter now that the majority of students was gone. "You must be Alanna Stalmer." He walked over and shook her hand.

She nodded.

"I'm Hagrid. Go ahead and get in a boat. Professor McGonagall'll take you aside when we get there I s'pose."

She walked over to a boat that had only three people in it and got in.

"Hi," she greeted the two girls and one boy.

"You're not a first year," one of the boys said. It wasn't a challenging statement though, simply a fact. She was obviously several years older than them and a lot less aware of what was going on."

"Ow!" the boy said as the girl sitting next to him shoved an elbow in his side.

"Don't be an idiot, Rob," the girl said. "That's Alanna Stalmer."

Alanna was surprised. "How do you know who I am?"

"We all know who you are," the girl replied. Then, glancing at the boy, "Except Rob, I mean. Professor Dumbledore sent owls to all the students that you'd be coming. Amelia Williamson, by the way."

"Um, okay," Alanna replied.

"This is Rob McEvan," Amelia said, introducing him.

"Andrea Innis," said the last girl, who until now had been silent.

"Nice to meet you all. So, um, what's happening right now?" She looked around at the lake they were magically gliding across. "I mean, besides crossing the lake."

"We're going to the castle for the sorting ceremony," Rob said, brightening up. "I hope I get Ravenclaw. Both my parents were in Ravenclaw."

Again lost, Alanna just nodded.

The boats glided into a large cave and soon landed on a sandy, underground beach. A flight of stone stairs led up into the torchlit rock.

"Ever'body out!" Hagrid called. "Up the stairs and be ord'ly."

The group of slightly nervous students climbed out of the boats and began their ascent.

After several turns of the staircase, so they could no longer see the beach below, the First Years and Alanna stopped before a large set of double doors. Several minutes of muted chatter later, one of the doors opened.

A tall, stern-looking woman walked in and immediately all conversation ceased. She frowned down at the group. "Welcome to Hogwarts. You will be sorted shortly. You will follow me quietly into the Great Hall. When I call your name, come to the front of the Hall, sit on the stool, and put on the hat. Once you are sorted, you may take a seat at your table." She looked around. "Miss Alanna Stalmer?"

"Yes?" Alanna called loudly, to be heard. She raised a hand to make sure she was seen, but it wasn't necessary as she was taller than anyone else there.

"Come with the First Years into the Great Hall. Once they are all sorted you will be introduced." She turned to take in the whole crowd again. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. Let's go in and get a good start on your time here at Hogwarts, shall we?"

Professor McGonagall turned and led the group through the doors, into a stone hallway, and through another set of double doors into the Great Hall.

The Hall had five tables, four set up parallel to each other and one crosswise at the head of the room. In front of the crosswise table, which Alanna took to be the teachers' table, was a stool with a raggedy hat sitting atop it.

Professor McGonagall told the First Years to stay at the back of the room and she went up to the front. She stood next to the stool and began to call names in alphabetical order. As each student went up, he or she put on the hat, and a moment later was called into a house, either Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor or Slytherin.

At last, Alanna was the only person in the back of the room.

Professor McGonagall moved the stool and hat to one side of the room and took a seat at the teachers' table.

A wizard in the middle of the table stood, a man with a long white beard, and hair, and half-moon spectacles in front of friendly eyes. This was clearly the Headmaster, from the way he stood and the way others looked at him.

"Welcome, and welcome back," he called, smiling at everyone in the room.

The students cheered.

"We have someone special with us this year," Dumbledore announced, looking at Alanna. A few people followed his gaze and turned to look at her. "Miss Stalmer, will you please come forward?"

She walked the length of the room down the middle, aware of everyone's eyes on her. She reached the head of the room and stood a little to the side of where the stool had stood.

"Miss Alanna Stalmer is a witch who has a unique type of magic. She has come to learn about ours and teach us about hers. Because of her situation, she will not be sorted into a house, but will have separate rooms, and be allowed to associate with any house she so pleases.." He looked around the room. "For now there seems to be an empty seat at the Gryffindor table. I hope you all welcome Miss Stalmer, and have a productive year. Let the feast begin!"

The room burst into noise as food suddenly appeared on the tables. Alanna made her way over to the empty seat and sat down.

"Hullo," said the boy she sat across from. "Dean Thomas."

"Nice to meet you."

"Here, have something to eat," he said after a moment when she didn't move. He held out a bowl of potatoes.

She smiled in relief and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Thanks."

"You'll have a great time here," he said, grinning.

She grinned back. "I plan to."

Finí


	6. Hogwarts: A Tour

A/N: I'm sorry but I can't seem to figure out why the formatting's gone to shit.  Please, oh please someone tell me how to fix it!

**bAnd I Bleed When I Dream/b**brbr****

**bDisclaimer:/b** I still don't own the wonderful world of Harry Potter, or anything else you may find in this story, minus Alanna. brbr

dnd4ever:  Thank you for your review; here is more…brbr

Tamra:  Thanks for pointing out things in my not sorting deal.  I didn't want to sort her into one house when she could associate with all of them, see. And, are you saying there's something wrong with H/D?  I3 H/D. brbr

**bSpecial A/N:/b  **As the Fifth book has put things all in an uproar, assume this story is au to the fifth year.  As in, anything that happened in the Fourth book happened, but nothing in the Fifth.  This is their fifth year. brbr

bChapter Five:  Hogwarts, A Tour/bbrbr A seventh year Slytherin, Imara Sanchis, gave her a general tour of the castle.  Imara was a prefect, and despite what Alanna had heard about her house, seemed quite nice. brbr "This is the tower where Professor Trelawney holds her Divination classes," Imara said, pointing to a door on the left.  She stopped walking and turned to Alanna.  "If you're smart you'll avoid the whole class altogether." brbr "Okay," Alanna answered slowly.  "How come?" brbr "Just trust me.  The whole class is a joke." brbr They continued walking down the corridor and after awhile came back to the Entrance Hall where they'd started.  Professor McGonagall was waiting at the foot of the stairs. brbr "Thank you, Miss Sanchis," McGonagall said, dismissing the girl.  Imara walked off down the hall. brbr "This way, Miss Stalmer."  She led Alanna up the marble staircase and then down several corridors.  She stopped in front of a statue of a wizard in the middle of a bow, looking stately for as much as he had five arms. brbr "The password is 'citadel,'" McGonagall said.  At the last word, the statue finished its bow and stepped aside, a door appearing in the wall behind it. brbr Through the door was a large bedroom with a four-poster curtained bed, window seat, and a writing desk.  A thick rug sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, which was not lit as of yet due to the warm weather.  Asleep on said rug was a little ball of gray fluff, otherwise known as Mo Ghra.  Alanna's trunk had been placed at the foot of the bed.  The entire affair was decorated in black and silver, complete with a black-and-silver tapestry of a unicorn on the wall. brbr "These are your rooms," Professor McGonagall said, making her look around for the plural, though she didn't see it.  "If you wish to change the colors from the neutral we provided, I'm sure one of your classmates can teach you a charm or two."  She paused and looked around the room.  "Since you have no House, you are permitted to associate with any or all, as long as you remember that the locations and passwords of the common rooms are explicit secrets.  If you violate these terms you may lose your privilege to visit any of them." brbr "Of course," Alanna nodded seriously. brbr "Would you like to see the common rooms tonight, or shall I show them to you another time?" brbr "Now, if you don't mind, Professor," she replied. brbr "Not at all.  Come with me." brbr They left the room and retraced their steps to the Entrance Hall.  From there they continued down a passage leading past what looked suspiciously like dungeons.  They passed what she remembered as Professor Snape's Potions classroom.  Near the end of the corridor, the Professor suddenly drew short in front of one of the doors, as if she didn't know exactly which one it was.  As if she hadn't seen it in some time. brbr "Wormwort," the woman pronounced clearly, and the heavy door swung inward.  "This is the Slytherin common room." brbr It was a large, spread-out room decked out in green and silver.  Rugs, furniture, lamps, curtains.  It was very striking.  Several students milled about the room, including Imara, who waved.  A boy with very pale hair, though not nearly as colorless as her own, scowled in her direction. brbr After the Ravenclaw common room (Poe) and the Hufflepuff common room (Animagus), Alanna began to despair of the whole place operating on passwords.  She didn't think she could remember very many more. brbr Several stories up, at the base of a large tower, Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a portrait of a very large woman in a very pink dress. brbr "Password, Professor?" the woman asked. brbr "Thunderbird," McGonagall stated.  Alanna smiled, for she knew she could remember that one. brbr The portrait swung aside to reveal a hole in the wall.  The two walked through into the Gryffindor common room. brbr "This is Gryffindor Tower," McGonagall said unnecessarily. brbr Like the other common rooms, it was decorated with its house's colors, in this case red and gold. brbr "I am needed elsewhere, Miss Stalmer.  Do you think you can find your way back to your rooms?" brbr "Yes Professor," Alanna said, while making a note to investigate once she got there, as that was the second time the woman had used a plural. brbr McGonagall turned and left, and Alanna was about to do the same when she stopped at her name.  She turned around to see Harry waving from across the room.  He was sitting with Hermione and Ron.  As she walked over to them, the other two greeted her as well. brbr "Hi," she replied to all of them at once. brbr "Have a seat," Hermione said, moving over to give her a patch of the red carpet.  Harry and Ron had a chessboard between them, and Alanna jumped when one of the knights jumped over the squares to smash a pawn to pebbles. brbr "Wizard chess," Hermione said without looking up from her book. brbr "Ah," Alanna said nodding.  She was glad to have an explanation without asking for it.  She watched engrossed for the next half hour as the boys ordered the pieces around and a growing layer of dust and rubble accumulated about the board. brbr When the game was over, and the figures had become whole again, Hermione pointed out that as the next day was their first, they ought to be getting to bed.  She put her bookmark in her book and stood to illustrate the point. brbr Halfway to the portrait hole, Alanna turned back at the sound of Harry's voice.  "Where is your room?" he asked, halfway across the room in the other direction.  She briefly described the statue in the hallway outside her door, and he assured her he knew which one she meant. brbr "Well I'll see you in the morning then," he said. brbr "Goodnight," she replied.  They both went their separate ways.  Harry turned up a flight of stairs that must lead to the boys' rooms, and Alanna hurried down the corridors to her room, as it was nearly curfew. brbr "Citadel," she murmured to the statue.  It promptly moved aside to let her enter. brbr Inside, Mo Ghra was still asleep, but had relocated to the middle of the bed. brbr "Freeloader," Alanna chuckled.  At the sound of her voice, the kitten lifted its head and let out a mew.  "Yeah that's what I thought." brbr The white-haired girl began to examine her bedroom more closely, and found behind the unicorn tapestry a door.  It should have led back out into the hallway, but her bedroom door was the only one out there that she could see.  Behind the door was a small bathroom, complete with black and silver towels.  She decided it must be for her use. brbr She took a long, hot bath, singing childhood fairy tales to Mo Ghra, who sat a safe distance away from the water on a folded-up towel.  Afterwards the two climbed into bed and fell asleep. brbr That night Alanna dreamed of lightning, though she couldn't remember doing so upon waking.  She knew only that she had a vague feeling of claustrophobia. brbr She'd dreamed she was lightning. brbrbr 

**bFiní/b**brbrbr****

A/N: If you'd like to be notified by e-mail when I update, either leave your e-mail address in your review, or e-mail me at lainey_marie_03@hotmail.com. My name will show up as Lainey Marie on your e-mail and the subject will be something like "AIBWID chapter (whatever) up." Inside will be a direct link, and any news or whatever that I should feel particularly important. brbr 

Constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome.  --Lainey


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